Black Tokyo
by lazyisabella
Summary: Life in Tokyo is not what Sebastian expected. He's always possessed a knack for getting into trouble but after meeting Ciel Phantomhive and wrecking his car all in the same day, Sebastian's starting to think it's more of a talent. In an attempt to pay off his debts to Ciel, Sebastian becomes employed under the teen as a bodyguard and chauffeur... or something.
1. Joshou (Prologue)

Japan is fourteen hours ahead of America and nine hours ahead of the UK.

On the streets of Tokyo, speed needs no translation.

Everyone seems to be constantly moving, living fast, fast, fast. There's no time to stop.

There are nefarious activities around every corner, barely hidden by a cloak of lies, and no one can be trusted.

Sebastian appreciates the fast-paced lifestyle but he still prefers America.

He'd been forced to move to Tokyo and live with his father after he'd got in a little too much trouble back home in California.

It wasn't drugs or murder but his mother had treated him as if he'd killed someone. She'd expatriated him to Japan to live with his father as soon as they'd been allowed to leave the police station.

Regardless of the reason for his stay in Japan, he wasn't leaving anytime soon.

Getting there had been hard enough, taking a direct red-eye flight to Japan and then having to figure out which rail system to take and ending up taking the wrong one.

Sebastian had rode all the way to the Chiba Prefecture before he'd realized his mistake and doubled back to Shinjuku.

His father lived in an upscale apartment building in Shinjuku but it had been made very clear to Sebastian that no large sum of money was going to be given to him. He was expected to get a job to pay for the damages he'd inflicted back in Cali.

Sebastian found his father's apartment to be empty and had collapsed on the couch as soon as he got inside.

He was asleep within a few minutes.

In the morning, Sebastian wakes up to a grinding noise.

"Well look who's up." A masculine voice says. When Sebastian sits up and turns to the left, he can see his father, yelling over the noise of the blender.

Sebastian groans and stands up, walking over to the covered window and pushing the curtain aside.

It's pitch black outside, little spots of light from cars, buildings, and people illuminating small pieces of the darkness.

"What time is it?" Sebastian demands. He pushes a hand through his hair. His dad turns the blender off.

"It's about 4:30. I figured you'd want to shower before school." Sebastian's father responds.

His dad looks good for his age, appearing a lot younger than forty-nine. Sebastian hasn't seen his dad in at least three years, ever since his parents divorced and his dad moved to Japan.

"What time does school start?" Sebastian asks.

"8:30. It'll be over around 4:00." Sebastian groans in response to this answer. His school day back in Cali had ended around 2:30.

"You could've let me sleep in a little more." Sebastian complains.

"I got you up a little early to have a talk with you." Sebastian's father explains. "What you did in California... that was serious. I don't want you messing around with any cars around here, you understand? You'll be taking the rail everywhere you go or getting a ride with a friend."

Sebastian exhales through his nose and glances out the window again.

He'd expected that cars would be off limits but it's still hard to hear.

"I understand." Sebastian replies.

"Good, now go get unpacked, shower, whatever you want. I gotta go to work. I should be home by the time you get home." Sebastian's father says.

"Alright. Have fun." Sebastian calls dryly. His dad doesn't answer.

After unpacking his meager belongings in his too-clean room and showering, Sebastian gets dressed in his new school uniform.

That's another thing he's not used to; the conformity of everything and the strict standards Sebastian's going to have to meet.

Just thinking about the long school day and the lack of familiarity makes Sebastian tired.

He leaves his new home around 7:30 A.M. and heads for Shinjuku Yamabuki High School.

Sebastian speaks very little Japanese, only knowing how to say 'nice to meet you' and 'thank you'.

He's well aware of the fact that the language barrier is going to be a huge problem and he doesn't exactly expect to meet many Americans at the school.

However, he still has a small bit of hope that this won't be as awful as he's expected, that it won't be the hell his mother claimed it would be.

Sebastian genuinely hopes that things will be okay here in this new city, away from past temptations.

* * *

Note: This could probably be considered a Fast and the Furious crossover kinda deal with Kuro but I'm not going to label it as that.

This fic is only going to be extremely loosely following a few things from Tokyo Drift. Regardless, _I do not own Kuroshitsuji or Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift._

Also, happy new year~!


	2. Nenshou Shinjuku (Burning Shinjuku)

Sebastian's first day of school in a foreign country isn't as bad as he'd imagined.

Besides being chastised for forgetting to take his shoes off before entering the classroom, it was decent.

There were actually two kids in his class who spoke English, Baldaroy and Finnian. Finny was British and Baldo was American. They both helped Sebastian with the language barrier as often as they could.

Finnian was fifteen and Baldaroy was the same age as Sebastian, seventeen.

"Hey, so why did you come to Japan anyways?" Baldaroy questions at lunch, eating something that vaguely resembles fish.

Sebastian contemplates making something up but then decides to just tell the truth.

"I crashed my mom's car into a nearby school. Totally wrecked three classrooms. It was after hours though so no one was hurt. I was facing multiple charges but I managed to get out of it as long as I pay for the damages." Sebastian replies. He takes a tentative bite of the fish-looking food and finds that it's not terrible.

"Couldn't you have earned money in America?" Finnian questions, his voice high.

"I guess but my mom wanted me gone. So, now I'm living with my dad." Sebastian replies. He doesn't like thinking about his mom, living it up back in San Diego and sunbathing while he's here in Japan.

"Well, the two of us came out here by choice. It was a scholarship kind of deal offered at our schools." Baldo explains.

"You came here _willingly_?" Sebastian stresses, finding it hard to believe. What's so great about Japan? What is worth the trouble?

"Oi! Ciel, come over here!" Finnian suddenly chirps, waving his hand towards someone on the other side of the cafeteria.

Sebastian watches as the slim figure moves over and sits down at their table, across from Sebastian and beside Finnian.

_He might be worth the trouble,_ Sebastian thinks.

"Ciel, this is Sebastian. He came over here from America." Baldo introduces. "Sebastian, this little brat is the inheritor of Funtom, Ciel Phantomhive."

"I hope you don't introduce me like that when I'm not around to dispute it." Ciel sighs. His accent is distinctly British.

He's small in nearly every sense of the word and looks neat, his uniform clean and his hair arranged perfectly. The most interesting thing about his appearance is the fact that he has an eye patch.

"Wait a minute. Funtom, as in, the car company?" Sebastian questions suddenly. Ciel turns to look at him and sets his phone down on the cafeteria table.

"Yes. Have you heard of it?" Ciel questions. He tilts his head to the side and Sebastian decides that Ciel's rather cute.

"Of course. Who the hell hasn't? I mean, it's more popular in Britain but it's obviously the best manufacturer of cars out there." Sebastian replies. He's trying to reign in his fanaticism.

"Obviously?" Ciel muses, smirking slightly. It's not a malicious smirk; he's just amused that this American knows so much about his father's company.

"Their cars are the best out there. The transmission is fantastic and the frames on them aren't weak. I've only driven one once." Sebastian responds.

"A car fanatic, I assume?" Ciel asks. He looks so elegant, so refined, like he doesn't belong in this high school setting.

"I guess you could say that." Sebastian replies. Ciel smiles in response.

"Well, you'll have to come to the UL in Kabukicho." Ciel murmurs. He picks his phone up and unlocks it, doing something that Sebastian can't see.

"What's the UL?" Sebastian questions, not following Ciel at all. He has no idea where Kabukicho is.

"It means Underground Level. It's what we call an abandoned parking garage in over in Kabukicho." Baldo explains. Once he's done eating, he drums his fingers on the table, fidgets with the buttons on shirt.

Sebastian's fairly certain that Baldo wants a cigarette; Sebastian knows the feeling.

"I have no idea how to get there." Sebastian murmurs.

"You can take the Seibu Line almost directly from here to there." Ciel says. It makes Sebastian feel uncomfortable that they know so much about the surrounding area and he has no idea where the hell they're talking about.

"You'll be able to go back to your place, change, and then catch the Seibu Line to the UL." Ciel explains. "Trust me, it'll be worth it."

Ciel stands and leaves, shoving his phone in his pocket as he walks by. He looks so regal, like royalty, which he is, in a sense. Well, maybe not royal, but definitely rich.

His dad's a billionaire so it's a given that he has money.

"Would one of you guys come with me?" Sebastian asks, turning to look at Baldo and Finny.

"Sure! We'll both come with you. After school activities haven't started yet, so we don't have anything to do anyways." Finny says, beaming at Sebastian. He's a bit much to take in.

"Thanks." Sebastian replies. "What do you even do at the UL anyways?"

"You race cars, of course. Or just watch if that's not your thing." Baldo murmurs. The bell rings and they all rise to dump their trays and then return to class.

Sebastian can't stop thinking about the UL for the rest of the day.

He loves cars, loves the thrill of racing them, and the thought that he's been offered an easy way to race within his first day of living in Japan, is ridiculous. Sebastian knows that he's not allowed to get behind the wheel of a car, knows that he _shouldn't_, but he isn't sure if he'll be able to turn down the offer.

Especially if it has anything to do with Ciel.

After school, Sebastian, Finny, and Baldo ride the monorail back to Sebastian's apartment. He quickly changes and then leaves a note for his dad, explaining that he's going to be hanging out with his friends.

They ride the Seibu Line to Kabukicho and then walk from the station to a nearby parking garage.

It's been abandoned by the city but it hasn't been abandoned by people, which is obvious judging by the large amount of people milling around the parking garage on each level.

Sebastian follows Baldo and Finny to the seventh level, which seems to be where the cars actually are.

There are various makes and models and large amounts of people admiring all the vehicles, staring at them and asking the owners questions.

"All that goes on here is car racing?" Sebastian questions, scanning the crowd.

"Well, besides partying. Although, it's a bit early for that. Just wait until it gets later." Baldo murmurs. Finny sees some girl with purple hair and he runs off to her. Baldo sighs and follows after him without another word, leaving Sebastian standing in a crowd of people he doesn't know.

Sebastian glances at the faces around him, finding absolutely no one that he remembers seeing in class. He can't even find Ciel, which is disappointing to say the least.

"You look a little lost. Want some introductions?" A voice to Sebastian's left questions, making him turn his head.

It's a small blonde, a boy only slightly taller than Ciel.

"Sure." Sebastian responds.

"Well, for starters, I'm Alois." The blonde says, smiling at Sebastian in a flirtatious way.

"I'm Sebastian." Sebastian responds. Alois exudes a kind of manic energy that makes Sebastian feel uncomfortable. He wishes Baldo and Finny would come back.

"Hm. Well, who do you want to know? There's Rin over there who's a total dick, Yuki who's a cocksucker, and Ciel who's a little punk ass." Alois grumbles, crossing his arms and leaning against the hood of the car behind him. He looks totally at ease but Sebastian doubts he owns the car.

"You're not friends?" Sebastian questions, looking at Ciel. Now that Alois had pointed him out, he can see Ciel standing on the other side of the crowd, talking to a guy with silver hair.

"No, we're friends. He's just annoying as hell sometimes." Alois replies. He seems annoyed that Sebastian doesn't turn to look at him so he moves into Sebastian's line of vision.

"You know, he's not worth your time... " Alois trails off, smiling mischievously up at Sebastian. He leans unnecessarily close and Sebastian steps back a little, the back of his legs hitting the hood of the car behind him.

"Hey. Is this guy bothering you?" Sebastian turns his head to the side and sees a guy with black hair and glasses, looking down at Alois. It takes Sebastian a minute to realize that the guy's addressing Alois, as ridiculous as that seems given their position.

"Yeah. Wouldn't leave me alone." Alois says, stepping back from Sebastian and moving over to the guy with glasses, who wraps an arm around Alois.

Alois smirks at Sebastian, which makes it so obvious that he was trying to set Sebastian up the whole time. He didn't want Sebastian, he wanted Sebastian to get his ass beat.

"Who are you? I've never seen you around here." The guy says. His voice is monotonous and rather bland. It's obvious by his posture that he's angry but you'd never guess it by the sound of his voice.

"I'm new here. My name's Sebastian. Look, I'm not trying to get into any trouble, I just-"

"Sebastian, huh? Well just stay away from-"

"I wasn't the one who was all over him. He was all over me." Sebastian interrupts, realizing it's a mistake as soon as the words leave his mouth.

"Are you saying Alois is a liar?" The guy questions, releasing Alois and stepping closer to Sebastian.

"Is there a problem, Claude?" A cold voice questions, making both boys turn to look at the intruder.

It's Ciel and Sebastian relaxes almost immediately, deciding that Ciel will help him out.

Ciel's wearing dark jeans and a loose sweater, looking impeccable. He's even shorter than Sebastian had previously assumed in the cafeteria.

"Yeah, this guy was all over Alois and now he's trying to fight." Claude says.

"Well, why don't you do something about it?" Ciel questions, tilting his head to the side. "Or are you all talk, Sebastian?"

_So much for helping me out._


	3. Aka Kabukicho (Red Kabukicho)

Ciel isn't normally an advocate of violence.

He dislikes fighting, finds it ridiculous, but he doesn't know Sebastian yet. He doesn't know how far he can push him, the limits Sebastian has set for himself.

Sebastian represents an opportunity Ciel can take advantage of.

"I don't want any trouble." Sebastian repeats and Ciel smirks.

"Well, if you don't want to fight you can always race." Ciel murmurs.

"I don't have a car." Sebastian responds. He feels like he can relax now; there's no way to race without a car.

"You can take mine." Ciel says. It's clearly a challenge and he holds his keys out towards Sebastian, his shirt sleeve sliding up a bit to reveal his dainty wrist.

Sebastian doesn't allow himself time to think, just decides that there's no way he's going to back down from Ciel's challenge.

Ciel probably thinks he's an idiot, just some moron who won't stand by his claims.

Sebastian takes the keys from Ciel and Ciel smiles at him approvingly.

"Well, are we going to do this?" Sebastian questions, turning to look at Claude.

"Sure." Claude responds. He walks over to the car Alois had been leaning on, a Nissan 350z. It's a good model, obviously new.

"Come on." Ciel calls and Sebastian moves forward, following Ciel across the lot to the other side of the garage.

"This is the one you're driving." Ciel says, pointing towards a sleek black car.

"Is this a Silvia S15?" Sebastian questions.

"Oh, you really do know your cars, don't you? Well, let's hope you can drive them just as well." Ciel says. Sebastian feels nervous for the first time that night, but it's more because of Ciel's close proximity than anything.

Sebastian doesn't respond, just gets in the car.

The steering wheel is on the opposite side from what he's used to and that throws him off a bit.

"Drive around the crowd and then pull up beside Claude." Ciel says, pointing out the route Sebastian needs to take to get the car aligned with Claude's.

He starts the engine and pulls the car up beside Claude's, parking it an even distance away.

The girl with purple hair walks in between their cars, holding a checkered flag like they use in real races.

"You'll drive from this level to the bottom and then come back up here. The first one back wins." Ciel says, loud enough for Sebastian and Claude to hear.

Claude revs his engine but Sebastian ignores it; there's no way he's revving the engine of Ciel's car. He wouldn't risk damaging the transmission.

Ciel moves out of the way, back into the crowd, and nods his head to the girl with purple hair.

"Ready... set... go!" The girl cries, waving her flag as a signal for the race to begin.

Sebastian moves the gearshift a second or two after Claude, but the hesitation is enough for Claude to get ahead of Sebastian.

Sebastian curses and then presses a little harder on the gas, moving directly behind Claude. He waits until they go around a corner, moving down to level six of the parking garage, to move in front of Claude and pass him.

He glances in the rear view mirror and then laughs, feeling alive again for the first time since he'd crashed into that school.

Driving was a thrill that Sebastian was addicted to, an adrenaline rush he couldn't quit.

He presses a little harder on the gas, even though he doesn't need to because Claude's behind him.

Sebastian moves towards the next curve to get down to level five and the smile leaves his face just as quickly as it appeared.

The curve is U-shaped, one he won't make without drifting or turning the wheel at just the right angle.

Maybe Sebastian would've made it if he had more time or if he hadn't been driving as fast.

Because he _was_ driving too fast and because he had no time to turn the wheel, the side of the car scrapes against the edge of the concrete wall.

Sebastian feels like it had just scraped off a part of himself. His heart's pounding and he's terrified for various reasons.

Firstly, he'd wrecked Ciel's car. It wasn't totaled, but that damage was going to cost him.

Secondly, Claude was catching up to him and quickly surpassed him on level five of the parking garage.

Sebastian curses and switches gears, moving down an even steeper hill. He tries to get around Claude but Claude is good at blocking.

Sebastian ends up making it down to level three without anymore incidents although he ends up stuck behind Claude the entire time, unable to pass.

On the curve to level two, Sebastian accidentally scrapes the back corner of Ciel's car against the wall and he hears the clatter of the bumper hitting the ground over the roar of the engine.

Sebastian needs to stop, should definitely stop, but he can't.

There's no way he can quit now, not when his blood's pumping and the race isn't over. He'll deal with the consequences when they arrive.

On level one of the parking garage, Claude leads the way back to the second floor.

Sebastian passes Claude on the third floor and remains ahead of him until the sixth floor.

He's driving too fast, always is, but this time, he doesn't make the turn fast enough and ends up slamming into the concrete curve instead of just scraping the side of the car on it.

Sebastian's head hits the steering wheel and he feels like his nose is broken. Claude doesn't even stop, just drives to the seventh floor.

Sebastian leans back against the seat, not even sure if he can get out of the car. He hears the distant sound of cheering on the floor above him and he groans, imagining the ridicule and the hell he's going to have to pay for this.

He'll have to make a deal with the devil to pay this car off.

There's a muted ding, the sound of the elevator opening, and then the sound of multiple voices and footsteps moving across the parking garage towards Sebastian.

He silently prays it's not Ciel and wishes that he could just crawl away.

"Holy shit! Ciel, he totally wrecked your car!" A voice calls.

"Oh, man. Is he alright?" Another voice questions.

"I don't know; I can't tell. Should we call 911?" The voices sound slightly hysterical now but Ciel interrupts them all.

"No. He's fine." Ciel says. His voice is calm, collected; Sebastian can't really imagine him anything other than professional.

Ciel moves forward and steps over the wreckage of his car, his separated bumper.

Ciel leans into the car, close to Sebastian. His lips are so close to Sebastian's cheek Sebastian can feel the warmth of them on his skin.

"You know, I wasn't expecting you to be this bad. I'm almost impressed." Ciel murmurs. He doesn't sound mad and when Sebastian turns to meet his gaze, there's no anger in his visible eye.

He reaches out and touches Sebastian's nose lightly, his fingers cold. Sebastian can see his own shaky breaths in front of him, turning into fog in the night air.

"Don't worry, it's not broken." Ciel says. He looks at Sebastian for a moment longer and then moves out of the car, careful to avoid hitting his head.

He walks away and Sebastian turns to watch him walk, aching and bruised.

"Oh, and Sebastian. Don't leave town." Ciel adds, not turning to look at Sebastian.

"We'll be in touch... "


	4. Kougoushii Tokyo (Divine Tokyo)

Sebastian leaves the wrecked car in the parking garage and limps to the nearest station that will take him to Nishi-Shinjuku.

His left ankle hurts, probably from pressing too hard on the brake, and he's grateful to sit down once he gets on the train.

A good deal of odd looks are thrown his way by the other passengers, but Sebastian merely leans his head against the cool glass of the window and closes his eyes until the train reaches Shinjuku.

It's close to midnight when he gets home but his dad's asleep in his room, the door shut.

Sebastian's grateful for this and he quickly goes into his room and closes the door, sitting down on his bed.

After a moment, he walks over to the mirror and examines his nose, making sure it's not broken. It seems like Ciel was right; his nose looks fine, albeit a little swollen.

Ciel.

Sebastian feels anxious just thinking about Ciel.

The way Ciel had acted... it wasn't how Sebastian would act if some idiot wrecked his car. Ciel had been unnaturally calm and had told Sebastian to stay in town.

_Damn it, damn it to hell._

Sebastian was going to get in so much trouble for this, was going to have to sell his soul to Ciel just to pay off that car. It would take him ten years, at least, to pay that off working minimum wage.

Sebastian lies down on his bed and falls asleep, thoughts tormenting him of the revenge Ciel's undoubtedly going to wreak.

Sebastian sits up groggily, his hair a mess and his nose throbbing, to the sound of his laptop going off in the middle of the night.

He turns his lamp on and irritably grabs his laptop and opens it, realizing that it's Joker wanting to Skype. Sebastian pushes a hand through his hair and then opens the video chat.

"Hey, buddy- woah. What the hell happened to your face?" Joker questions, squinting as if to see Sebastian's face better.

"Just a little accident. Dude, do you know what time it is?" Sebastian questions. Joker's his friend, of course he doesn't mind talking to him, but it's late as hell and he doesn't feel too hot.

"Uh, not really? Over here it's like ten in the morning. I didn't go to school today so I figured I'd hit you up. Have you hooked up with any hot Chinese chicks?" Joker questions. He lights a cigarette and Sebastian watches him wistfully.

"It's about three in the morning over here and I'm in Japan, not China you dumbass." Sebastian sighs. He isn't sure if he's amused with Joker or annoyed.

"Whatever, almost the same thing. Seriously, dude, what happened to your nose? It looks like hell." Joker comments, exhaling his cigarette smoke.

"It was just... a little car wreck I was in." Sebastian murmurs. Joker nearly drops his cigarette and Sebastian immediately starts talking again. "Nothing serious! I mean, it wasn't too serious... "

"Oh my God, you just can't stop, can you? You already owe that school so much, what are you trying to do?" Joker demands. He angrily stubs his cigarette out into the ashtray Sebastian had bought him last year.

"I was just. I don't even know. I'm a fucking idiot." Sebastian groans, running a hand through his hair. It's probably a sign that he needs to get it cut but Sebastian likes it a little long.

"I could've told you that. What were you doing? Trying to impress some chick?" Joker laughs.

Sebastian thinks of Ciel, of the challenge in his eyes.

"Yeah, something like that... "

* * *

Sebastian doesn't go to school in the morning.

His father leaves early in the morning and Sebastian just goes back to sleep after his dad leaves.

He doesn't leave his room until noon, when he slips out to grab food and then naps on the couch for an hour or so. Sebastian eventually wakes up and takes a shower.

His ankle hurts if he stands on it for too long and his nose hurts but other than that he feels okay.

Physically, at least. Emotionally, he's rather panicked about Ciel.

Ciel, despite being only a high school student, has connections and could make Sebastian pay in ways that don't involve money.

The thought seems ridiculous when Sebastian's safe in his father's apartment but he's not planning on risking anything. He has to make sure he's on Ciel's good side.

Sebastian exits the bathroom with a towel around his waist and flops down on the couch.

His dad won't be home for a few more hours so he can just lie around for a while. There's suddenly a knock on the door and Sebastian freezes.

He isn't sure if he should tell them to wait so he can get dressed or just answer the door.

_Would that be considered rude? Or indecent?_

"Uh, hold on a sec." Sebastian says, deciding that he doesn't want to offend anyone.

"Just open the door." The voice says, causing Sebastian to pause midstep.

"Okay." Sebastian replies, opening the door. It's Ciel, and Sebastian knew it was, but it's still odd to see him standing here.

"May I come in?" Ciel questions, tilting his head towards Sebastian. He's still just as calm as ever and Sebastian holds the door open for him.

Ciel's dressed in dark jeans and a blue sweater. He looks cold but that makes sense; it's fairly close to winter now.

"Maybe you should get dressed before we continue talking." Ciel murmurs, pointedly not looking at Sebastian's bare chest.

"Sure. Just wait here." Sebastian says. Ciel nods and sits down in the leather arm chair adjacent to the couch.

Sebastian goes into his room and hurriedly gets dressed, tugging on a pair of jeans and a loose shirt. He combs his fingers through his hair and decides that that's good enough.

When Sebastian walks back into his living room, he sees Ciel looking out the windows directly across from him. The view is pretty nice although Sebastian prefers it at night.

"Uh, so... how'd you find out where I live?" Sebastian asks, sitting down on the couch.

He would ask why Ciel's here but he knows the answer; Ciel's here to collect.

"That isn't important. What is important is that you understand what you owe me." Ciel replies. He looks like some kind of teenage business mogul, which, in a way he kind of is.

"How much is that, exactly?" Sebastian questions. He feels like any minute this is going to turn into Repo and Ciel's going to demand his kidney as recompense.

Sebastian could be wrong about that though, he never saw Repo.

"I'm not going to get into numbers because you obviously don't have any money to give me. Your father certainly does but I don't want you asking him for money. You should pay off your own debts." Ciel murmurs. His tone is casual but his words don't feel that way.

"What do you mean?" Sebastian asks.

"I don't want you to pay me back with money. I have plenty of money; I don't need that. What I do need, is a bodyguard... of sorts." Ciel says. Sebastian almost laughs.

Why would Ciel think he would be a good bodyguard?

"You want me to be your bodyguard? Like hired muscle?" Sebastian asks. This isn't as bad as he'd been expecting.

"I just want you to make sure that I don't get injured physically. If someone were to attempt to attack me, you are to either thwart their attack or take the beating yourself." Ciel responds.

_Oh, that's just great._

"So all I have to do is make sure you don't get punched or make sure I get punched instead of you?" Sebastian demands.

"Well, also you're to act as a chauffeur to me. Those two things don't really cover the extent of your services but for now, it will suffice." Ciel says. His voice is so reserved, his words almost clinical.

"You want me to drive you around?" Sebastian questions. That seems comical seeing as how he'd just wrecked Ciel's car barely 24 hours ago.

"Until my father allows me to drive again. I took the blame for wrecking the car and although he didn't fully believe me, he still doesn't want me driving." Ciel sighs. Sebastian's genuinely surprised; Ciel could've let all the blame fall on Sebastian.

"Also, I'm aware of the fact that you're not a bad driver in general. The odds were against you last night. The steering wheel placement and the location of the race were both foreign to you. Also, you have no idea how to drift so you couldn't have made those turns at the speed you were going." Ciel murmurs. It's an almost-compliment and Sebastian will take anything he can get.

"I really am sorry." Sebastian says quietly. He's still pissed at himself just remembering the state of the car.

"You have no reason to be. You'll be paying me back in full." Ciel says. He smiles but it comes across odd, as if he's not used to doing it. Or maybe he's just trying to appear sincere but he isn't quite sure how it should look.

Sebastian smiles back but he feels slightly uneasy.

"So... I guess you're my boss now." Sebastian laughs. Ciel smirks again but this time it seems like it's from genuine emotion.

"Yes, it would appear so. Now, I expect you to pick me up before school tomorrow." Ciel commands. Before Sebastian can complain about not knowing Ciel's address or even owning a car, Ciel hands him a cell phone and a set of keys.

"The cell phone is programmed with my number, address, and email. The keys are to a black BMW parked in front of this building. You are to pick me up in this car always and _never_ race in it." Ciel orders. Sebastian nods.

Normally he'd be amused with Ciel's behavior, but now it just feels serious. As if Ciel really in his boss. In a way, Ciel is because Sebastian _has_ to obey him.

"See you tomorrow." Ciel calls as he exits Sebastian's apartment and moves down the hall.

Sebastian closes the door behind him and sighs.

He's officially employed in a no-pay job under a teenage boy who just happens to be rich as hell and also ridiculously cute.

_Life in Tokyo just keeps getting better and better,_ Sebastian thinks to himself.


	5. Shiroi Yotsuya (White Yotsuya)

Sebastian ends up sleeping in a little too late and has to rush to get ready, pulling on his uniform and then running outside.

He finds the BMW he's supposed to be driving in a few minutes and he starts the car, admiring the vehicle. Sebastian was correct in assuming that Ciel has a lot of money.

Sebastian feels ridiculously nervous, as if he's a rookie desperate to impress his boss. Maybe he is in a way.

Sebastian uses the phone Ciel gave him to help him get to Ciel's apartment.

He has to take the Shuto Expressway and unfortunately has to pay a toll of ¥900. Luckily, he finds the cash for this toll in the glove box inside an envelope labeled 'toll money'.

Ciel is living in Yotsuya which isn't very far from Sebastian's father's apartment.

When Sebastian arrives at Ciel's apartment, he isn't sure if he should go inside or wait in the car. He doesn't have to decide because Ciel exits the apartment building before Sebastian can even get out of the car.

"You're late. Drive." Ciel orders, sliding into the passenger seat.

"I wasn't sure where your apartment was and I slept in." Sebastian says, in an attempt to excuse his tardiness. Ciel's back in his uniform but it looks different than Sebastian's; Ciel actually looks good in it.

"Well, now you know where I live. And I expect you won't be sleeping in anymore." Ciel murmurs. He's looking out the window and the sunlight shines on his hair, turning it a lighter color.

Sebastian has a little bit of trouble keeping his eyes on the road.

Ciel stares out the window impassively.

Ciel had moved to Japan a few years ago but was very fond of it. He liked the pace of Tokyo, the vibe of the people. London had felt like a disease, like a virus invading Ciel and his father's life.

"Sebastian, what happened in California that forced you to come here?" Ciel questions. He's slightly intrigued by Sebastian's past.

Sebastian doesn't seem like a delinquent or someone who would stir up too much trouble. Although, seventeen year olds can't be trusted, especially boys.

"I wrecked my mom's car and damaged a local elementary school. My mom sent me out here to live with my dad." Sebastian responds. He doesn't sound happy as he retells the story and Ciel watches him.

"How did you escape charges? You're nearly an adult." Ciel comments. Sebastian's face is in slight shadow, the morning sun on his skin. Ciel can recognize that he looks handsome.

"As long as I pay for the damages then I won't be charged with anything." Sebastian replies. He merges onto another lane, heading for their school.

"I was meaning to talk to you about that. I'm going to have to get a job to start paying that bill off and I can't exactly do that if I'm driving you around all the time. I was hoping that you'd let me work and then just chauffeur you on my down time." Sebastian says.

Ciel contemplates it for a moment and then decides that he's not entirely unreasonable.

"You'll have to figure that out for yourself. Even if you're at work, if I need you then you come, regardless of the circumstances. That's not up to debate, Sebastian." Ciel murmurs. He watches Sebastian's grip tighten on the steering wheel, the way his mouth twitches.

Sebastian's trying to suppress his emotions and he does a fairly good job.

They arrive at Yamabuki High School just barely on time, Ciel pointing out a parking space and then the two of them rushing into the building.  
Classes start later in Japan but they last longer; school doesn't let out until four and for some reason this fact irks Sebastian to no end.

He just wishes that the school let out at three-thirty. Even that would've been easier than four.

Sebastian has two classes with Ciel and he sits behind Ciel in both classes.

The teachers all mainly speak in Japanese, save for the English teacher, and Sebastian still struggles understanding what's even going on. He has to ask kids for help and the majority of the time, the kids he asks don't even speak English or speak it very well.

At lunch, Sebastian starts to head over to Finny and Baldo's table but Ciel stops him.

"Come with me." Ciel says in a low voice, his head bowed. Sebastian follows Ciel out of the cafeteria and up a set of stairs onto the rooftop.

"Are we allowed up here?" Sebastian asks. The view from the top of the school is rather nice, although it's cold being up so high.

"Yes. Most schools in this area allow student access to the rooftop." Ciel explains. He sits down on a bench and Sebastian moves to sit beside him. Sebastian looks around them, glancing at the few students braving the cold wind up on the rooftop.

Ciel doesn't eat lunch, again, and Sebastian eats his while Ciel does something on his phone.

"Sebastian, are you busy this Saturday?" Ciel questions suddenly. He turns his attention away from his phone and directs it entirely on Sebastian.

Sebastian feels slightly unnerved having Ciel's visible eye locked on his face. The other eye is hidden by the eye patch and Sebastian idly wonders what happened to it.

"I doubt it. Why?" Sebastian asks. He's hoping that Ciel doesn't have some arduous task ahead for him.

"My father wants me to go meet with a car dealer and I'll need you to be driving. My father doesn't entirely trust this dealer." Ciel replies.

"So, basically you just want me around to make you look protected?" Sebastian questions, finding it a bit amusing that Ciel still thinks of him as a bodyguard.

"Not to make me look protected. You will protect me. You have to." Ciel says. He doesn't look at Sebastian, just picks up his phone again, but the lack of doubt in his voice unnerves Sebastian a bit.

"Let's go, lunch is almost over." Ciel murmurs after a moment.

Sebastian follows Ciel back into the school to finish out the rest of his classes.

At the end of the day, Sebastian leaves the building to find Ciel leaning against the side of his car, waiting for Sebastian. He's talking to someone who looks a little older, with silver hair.

The older guy looks agitated, his shoulders stiff. Sebastian only catches the end of their conversation, but Ciel sounds as indifferent as ever.

"I understand that but you can't just show up here. You're not even a student." Ciel says with disdain. Sebastian walks up to the two of them and once the guy with the silver hair notices Sebastian he makes an irritated noise and then walks off, leaving the school grounds.

"Friend of yours?" Sebastian questions, holding the car door open for Ciel.

"A business partner." Ciel replies, allowing Sebastian to close the door for him. He seems to enjoy having Sebastian as a chauffeur.

"He didn't seem very happy. Who was that guy?" Sebastian questions. He pulls out of the parking lot, careful not to hit the students loitering in the parking lot.

"His name is Ash Landers." Ciel says. He doesn't say anything else and Sebastian knows to drop it.

"Sebastian just drive straight to your apartment. I'll call my father later." Ciel murmurs.

"Why?" Sebastian questions. Why would Ciel want to come to his apartment?

"You're having a bit of difficulty learning anything at school because you barely know any Japanese. I'm taking it upon myself to tutor you in an attempt to keep your grades up." Ciel elaborates. He says it in such a way that it sounds like a favor, like Sebastian should be thanking him.

_Ciel sure is manipulative._

"You don't have to do that. I could probably manage on my own." Sebastian murmurs. It's not true; he isn't going to pass anything if he doesn't start studying Japanese. He can't even read the worksheets the teachers give him.

"Shut up." Ciel orders. His tone isn't harsh and when Sebastian glances at him out of the corner of his eye, he's smirking.

The sun burns a golden light against the skyline, glass from skyscrapers reflecting the light like fire. It's pretty in an obscure kind of way, a way Sebastian never saw in Cali.

Beauty was only skin deep in San Diego, only as deep as the scalpel had went during plastic surgery. Beauty in San Diego was a hollow thing, unreal and born from makeup and reconstructive surgeries.

Sebastian isn't sure where the beauty comes from in Tokyo, but it's there, all around him.

It's growing on Sebastian, bit by bit, whether he'll admit it or not.


	6. Jiniteki Shinjuku (Artificial Shinjuku)

Ciel, regardless of his intelligence and academic record, is a horrible teacher.

At least, in Sebastian's opinion.

"I'm telling you, you need to learn hiragana first." Ciel says, slightly exasperated.

"But why can't we learn this other one first? It looks easier." Sebastian complains. He obviously hadn't been planning on learning Japanese ever, and still would prefer not to.

"Hiragana needs to be learned before Katakana." Ciel sighs. Sebastian isn't exactly a willing student. And Ciel isn't exactly someone with a large amount of patience.

"But _why_?" Sebastian repeats.

"Because, you _need_ hiragana! Now, stop arguing about this and just write down the damn characters." Ciel snaps. He's aggravated beyond belief.

_Maybe I shouldn't be a tutor..._

Ciel contemplates apologizing for his outburst but Sebastian's actually copying down the first five characters they're working on so he remains silent.

There's the sound of someone at the door and Sebastian's dad walks in, carrying a briefcase and looking tired.

"Sebastian-oh. You have a friend over." He says. Ciel can't tell if he's annoyed or indifferent, but he still stands up respectfully.

"Uh, yeah. Dad, this is Ciel. He goes to my school." Sebastian explains.

Ciel doesn't know much about Sebastian's father. His knowledge is purely from Ciel looking up Sebastian's father the night after Sebastian had wrecked his car. Apparently, Sebastian's father was head of a company working in imports and exports from the USA.

"Nice to meet you." Ciel says with a polite smile. Sebastian watches Ciel with an amused expression.

It seems like Ciel's good at putting on airs, making people believe he's as nice as can be.

"Yes, nice to meet you too. Were you two studying?" Sebastian's dad asks.

"Yeah, we actually were." Sebastian replies.

"Huh. Well, Ciel, I'm surprised you could get my son to do any work at all. He's not really one for it." Sebastian's dad laughs and Ciel smiles amicably.

"Help yourself to anything in the fridge and feel free to order something and charge it to my credit card." Sebastian's father says, moving down the hallway towards his bedroom.

Sebastian waits for his father to close the door before speaking.

"Are you hungry?" Sebastian questions.

"Not particularly." Ciel replies. He feels odd, a little uncomfortable maybe. He's not used to this, to spending time with someone for no real reason. This isn't a business meeting or a conference; it can't even be called a study session anymore.

Ciel doesn't have friends per se, they're more acquaintances and people who benefit from spending time with him. Not many people spend time with him for no real reason.

"Well, I'm ready for a break and I'm hungry so I'm ordering some food. What's the best fast food restaurant around here besides McDonalds?" Sebastian asks, moving over to the phone in the kitchen.

"I'd recommend Lotteria if you're after Japanese fast food. Although, I'm not terribly fond of fast food." Ciel murmurs. He still feels odd, out of his own element, but he always feels that way around people his own age.

Sebastian smirks and grabs a phone book off the counter, moving back into the living room and handing it to Ciel, along with the phone. Ciel opens his mouth in protest but Sebastian's quickly starts talking.

"I don't speak Japanese; they probably wouldn't understand me." Sebastian explains. He finds the irked expression on Ciel's face terribly attractive.

Ciel doesn't say anything, just opens the phone book, finds the number, and calls the restaurant. Sebastian tells him what to order and Ciel orders that along with something for himself.

Ciel orders in Japanese and it's odd to hear him speaking Japanese perfectly. His British accent doesn't seem to mar his words one bit.

Once the food arrives, Sebastian pays the delivery guy and then sets their food down on the table.

"Are you okay? You look kinda... off." Sebastian murmurs, sitting down beside Ciel and handing Ciel his plain chicken sandwich.

"I'm fine, " Ciel glares at Sebastian. "I just... don't do this very often."

"Do what?" Sebastian questions, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Tutor morons in Japanese? Or eat Lotteria?"

"No, not that. I mean that I don't spend a lot of time with people out of school." Ciel explains. He takes a dainty bite of his sandwich.

"Not surprising." Sebastian murmurs. He's about to laugh at the look on Ciel's face but Ciel pinches his side.

"Ow! _That's_ probably why no one wants to hang out with you." Sebastian complains, rubbing his side with one hand.

Ciel continues eating his sandwich and it's quiet for a few moments until he interrupts the silence.

"Why is it surprising?" Ciel questions. He doesn't look at Sebastian when he asks.

"Because you come across as kinda stuck up. You're not a jerk, not really. More like a robot." Sebastian grins at Ciel but he doesn't seem to realize that Sebastian's joking.

"A robot?" He questions, as if he's personally affronted. He genuinely doesn't seem to understand that Sebastian's teasing him.

"Maybe more like a villain on My Little Pony or something. You know, like you're not bad you just look a little mean." Sebastian says. He's pretty sure he should have shut up at 'My Little Pony'.

"A villain from My Little Pony?" Ciel repeats. He doesn't sound offended anymore, merely annoyed.

"You know, because you look like you're fourteen." Sebastian explains.

"I'm sixteen, you idiot." Ciel snaps, pinching Sebastian again.

"Ouch, okay truce!" Sebastian exclaims, holding his hands up in surrender.

They finish eating in silence, but it's not entirely unpleasant. Ciel doesn't feel as uncomfortable because Sebastian is an idiot and there's no reason to feel awkward.

Once they're done eating, Sebastian cleans up and then offers to drive Ciel home.

"Fine. Let's go." Ciel says. He slides his jacket on over his uniform and grabs his bookbag, moving over to the door.

Ciel leads the way out of the apartment building and Sebastian's surprised to find that it's dark outside.

Even though the sky is dark, the streets aren't. Street, building, and car lights illuminate nearly everything, keeping Shinjuku bright even in the darkness. There are a large number of people rushing around and the city is noisy, not even close to sleep.

Ciel walks ahead of Sebastian, his slim form shadowed under the streetlights.

He gets in the car and Sebastian follows, sliding into the driver's side of the car.

"You know it's probably a good thing I'm driving you home." Sebastian murmurs, making a right turn.

"Why is that?" Ciel questions, turning away from the window to glance at Sebastian.

"Because you're kinda cute. Some freak might snatch you up. At least this way you won't get attacked or anything." Sebastian replies. He glances at Ciel and notices the way Ciel blushes before grimacing, his anger secondary.

"Sebastian... shut up." Ciel snaps, starting his sentence but then deciding he isn't sure what to say in the first place.

"Yes, sir." Sebastian responds, grinning slightly. Ciel doesn't deign Sebastian with a response.

* * *

Note: Next chapter is going to be intense... but not necessarily in a good way.


	7. Karappo Yotsuya (Empty Yotsuya)

Ciel tutors Sebastian after school for the rest of the week, reviewing Hiragana characters until Sebastian can at least understand a little bit of the work teachers are giving him.

"Why don't you have every single class with me?" Sebastian questions on Friday night when he's driving Ciel to his apartment.

"Despite the fact that we're both foreigners, I'm in advanced classes while you're not." Ciel replies. Sebastian nods, stopping at a crosswalk to allow a group of strangely dressed girls to cross the street. Ciel sighs and glances out the window.

He always seems so apathetic, so terribly bored with life. Sebastian still hasn't figured out why that is.

"Sebastian, be at my apartment around noon tomorrow. My father should be gone by then." Ciel says. Sebastian nods again and turns down the road that leads to Ciel's apartment.

He's become good at driving Ciel to his home and school but doesn't know any other area of Tokyo. His knowledge of the rail system is limited as well because he's been driving Ciel everywhere since his third day in Tokyo.

"Don't worry, I'll have the directions so we won't get lost." Ciel murmurs, as if he's following Sebastian's train of thought.

They arrive at Ciel's apartment and there's a guy standing out front, blocking the door. He doesn't look too dangerous, but he's obviously angry, yelling into his phone.

Ciel opens his mouth to demand Sebastian walk him to his door when Sebastian interrupts.

"I'll walk you to your door. And don't even argue about it; that guy looks like a dick." Sebastian says. He exits the car first and then walks beside Ciel, wearily watching the guy blocking the door.

"He lives on the floor below me. He's Italian. His name's Azurro or something like that." Ciel murmurs, keeping his voice low as he walks near Sebastian.

Azurro inhales angrily on his cigarette and grumbles something in Japanese on his phone before hanging up. He moves out of the way for Ciel and Sebastian without a word.

Sebastian walks Ciel into the lobby of the apartment building, making sure he gets on the elevator.

"Be here by noon." Ciel orders just as the elevator doors close. Sebastian sighs and turns to leave, flipping his hood up and shoving his hands into his pockets.

It's getting colder and colder recently, the wind harsh.

"Oi! You know that kid? Phantomhive?" Azurro questions Sebastian just as he exits the building. The guy's blonde with his hair up in a ponytail, still smoking a cigarette. There's a jagged scar on his face that Sebastian hadn't noticed before.

"Uh, yeah." Sebastian responds, weary of the guy. He seems shady, something about him that doesn't stick right with Sebastian.

"Hm. You friends?" Azurro questions, exhaling his cigarette smoke into the air.

Sebastian shrugs; he isn't really sure if they're friends or not.

"You two go to school together?" Azurro asks. He looks bored as if he's not interested in the conversation, although he obviously is because he continues asking these questions.

"Yeah, look I should get going." Sebastian murmurs, suddenly feeling unsettled.

"Yeah, yeah go ahead. It's nice to see an American around here, you know?" Azurro asks. Sebastian nods and fakes a smile before turning away and walking over to his car.

He has to fight the urge to glance behind him. Sebastian isn't positive as to why Azurro creeped him out, the guy just did.

_Well there is something weird about a guy who hangs around in front of an apartment building and tries to talk to teenagers._

Sebastian drives home and goes to sleep after a quick shower. He wakes up sometime early in the morning to his phone going off.

Sebastian contemplates ignoring it but then he sees that it's a call from Ciel so he answers.

"Yeah?" Sebastian questions, still not fully awake.

"It's a good thing for your little friend that you answered." Sebastian freezes, sitting straight up. It's that weird guy, Azurro.

"How the hell did you get my number?" Sebastian demands.

"It was one of the few contacts on Phantomhive's phone. Now, wouldn't you like to come and collect your little friend?" Azurro questions, his tone bemused. Sebastian suddenly feels sick, a feeling of dread sliding down his spine.

"What do you mean?" Sebastian asks shakily. He's hoping this is just some fever dream, that feels real but is too unbelievable to be true.

"Well, I have Phantomhive over here and I figured you'd be interested in rescuing him. You seem like the protective type; you wouldn't even let him walk to the door alone. I'm assuming you're interested in helping the little brat out.. " Azurro trails off, making the last statement form a half-question.

Sebastian still feels like this can't be real but he knows it is. He can hear the loud noises of the city far below and can see the light creeping in from under his door perfectly.

"What do you want me to do?" Sebastian asks weakly. He feels sick to the point of nausea but he knows that he has to listen to this guy, for Ciel's sake.

"We need you to take some money out of the bank for us. I'll text you directions to the bank momentarily. We want you to withdraw 10,000,000 yen from Phantomhive's bank account." Azurro states, as if it's that simple. Sebastian nearly drops the phone at the amount.

10 million yen? 10 million JYP? How much did that equal in American dollars? More or less?

Sebastian had no idea but he knew that he had to listen to this guy if he wanted to help Ciel.

"Does Ciel even have that much in his bank account?" Sebastian demands. He knew Ciel was rich but wasn't expecting him to have that much money.

"Of course. Now, Vincent is away for the weekend. You need to get into their apartment and find the access codes. They're somewhere in Vincent's office, although we're not entirely sure where. Once you find those, dress appropriately and then go to the bank and make a withdraw. I recommend performing the withdraw early in the morning, for the sake of this little boy. Once you withdraw the money, contact me on this number." Azurro orders. He hangs up on Sebastian and Sebastian stares at the phone, dumbfounded and in slight shock.

He needs to break into Ciel's apartment, steal access codes, and then steal money from his account.

_Why the hell did I have to come to Japan?_

He groans and then slides off his bed, quickly jerking off his pajamas and tugging on jeans and a t-shirt. He doesn't own anything remotely 'appropriate' for looking professional so he'll have to find something at some point.

Sebastian slips out of his apartment quietly, leaving his father sleeping in his room. Sebastian would love to tell his father everything, have his father take control of the situation, but he has a feeling that Azurro wouldn't like that.

Sebastian drives the BMW to Ciel's apartment, making sure to park the car quietly and to walk into the building as if he lives there. Sebastian tries to walk at a casual pace and not rush.

He bumps into a thin woman in the elevator, with silver hair and large, lavender eyes. She smiles at him and he smiles back, although he's almost positive that it's a nervous twitch of the lips.

Sebastian's too shaky, filled with adrenaline and nerves, to even function.

He exits the elevator at the penthouse, remembering Ciel mentioning having complete access to the top floor of the apartment building. Sebastian enters the penthouse and tries not to stop but can't control himself.

It's a huge apartment, with a panoramic view of Yotsuya below them. It's more industrialized than the area of Shinjuku Sebastian lives in.  
Yotsuya is a business district so it's more full of office business and elegant residences along with numerous restaurants. The city is alive during the day, but at night it's utterly dead.

The streets are dark far below, seeming to highlight the fact that Ciel's apartment is empty.

It's filled with expensive furniture, but not without taste. There are numerous works of art on the walls, and the furniture all blends in together, giving the apartment an atmosphere that comes across as refined and polite.

It's elegant and obviously expensive but makes the place seem unlived in, as if it's just for decoration. After walking around for a few minutes, Sebastian finally finds Ciel's dad's office.

It's a large room, complete with an enormous desk and a leather chair behind it.

Sebastian glances around the room, taking in the large bookshelf and the filing cabinets against the opposite wall. He decides that his best bet is going to be the computer, so he sits down in the chair and turns on the computer.

Sebastian waits impatiently for it to turn on and when he does, realizes that there's a password for that too. He irritably shuffles through papers until he finds the password and then enters that into the computer, finally logging in.

Once Sebastian's on the desktop, he realizes that he doesn't know where to look. He decides to just go through folders until he's went through all of them, trying to find that damn password.

Once he gets Ciel away from that Italian freak, Ciel's so gonna pay.


	8. Itami Kabukicho (Painful Kabukicho)

Ciel shifts from his position on the floor, trying not to make too much noise.

It's late that's all he knows, probably still night. He's bound, his wrists behind his back, leather belts wrapped around his torso. Ciel's feet are tied together as well.

"The little prince finally woke up, did he?" A voice questions. Ciel glares in the general direction of the man, the room still too dark for him to see anything.

The lights suddenly turn on and Ciel narrows his eyes against the brightness.

"Azurro." Ciel says when he sees the man standing in the doorway of the room Ciel's being kept in.

"Happy to see me?" Azurro questions, a smirk gracing his features. The scar on his face seems to accent the wicked glint in his eyes.

"Not particularly. More surprised than anything." Ciel replies. He knows that he needs to stay calm and act as if he's in control until help arrives.

"Surprised?" Azurro questions. He moves into the room and leans against the wooden desk in the middle of the room. It looks like Ciel's being held hostage in a normal everyday office.

"You'd go to all this trouble for some money?" Ciel asks. Of course it's about money; that's all it's ever about. Greed is a precursor for a large amount of heinous crimes.

"Of course. Who wouldn't do this for money? Your father is away for the weekend. He's in London, back to a visit an old friend I believe. That leaves this little rescue mission all down to your friend, Sebastian." Azurro says, laughing.

Outwardly, Ciel smiles and forces his shoulders to relax, his fists to unclench behind his back, but inwardly he suddenly feels nauseous.

Sebastian, although technically his bodyguard, is still in high school and untrained in matters like this. Sebastian isn't going to know the right thing to do and might not even be able to rescue Ciel.

"I'm assuming he'll be here soon?" Ciel questions. He shifts slightly, his back hurting from the position he's in.

"I'm hoping so. I don't posses much patience." Azurro murmurs, pulling a gun out of the waistband of his finely tailored pants. "I might get bored... "

It's clear that Azurro is offering a warning to Ciel but there's nothing Ciel can do; he can't go out and order Sebastian to hurry up. He has to sit here and wait.

"I doubt you'll be waiting much longer. Sebastian's quite capable." Ciel responds, taking in his surroundings. Besides the desk and a large cabinet in the opposite corner of the room, it's empty.

"He seems like a normal high school student. Although, I could be surprised. Surely, little Phantomhive has a bodyguard with a fantastic arsenal of skills." Azurro murmurs. He sounds bemused, curious whether Sebastian will best him or not.

Ciel merely smirks, allowing Azurro to think what he wants.

_I really wish I actually did have a bodyguard with an arsenal of skills,_ Ciel sighs.

He has little faith in Sebastian and decides that once he gets out of here, one way or another, Sebastian is going to have to go through some rigorous training.

* * *

Sebastian eventually finds Vincent's bank account code on his laptop, embedded in the hard drive. He quickly writes it down on a piece of paper and then crams that into his pocket.

Sebastian's quick to call Azurro back; he's worried about what the freak is doing to Ciel.

"Yes?" Azurro answers. His voice makes Sebastian's skin crawl.

"I have the code." Sebastian says. He just wants to take the money out and get to Ciel. The idea that something's happening to Ciel and Sebastian's the only one that can help makes Sebastian crazy.

"Go to Aozora Bank. It's the Shinjuku branch. Do you need directions? It's relatively close to your school." Azurro murmurs, sounding half-interested.

"No, I remember driving by it." Sebastian replies. He stands to move out of the sleek office, exiting the apartment.

"Wonderful. After you get the money come to the parking garage you all seem so fond of. And don't even think about coming over before you get the money." Azurro orders, just before hanging up.

Sebastian sighs and shoves his phone into his pocket. He jerks the door to Ciel's apartment open but then freezes. He needs to look less like a teenager that's being blackmailed into taking money out of the bank and more like a business man. He closes the door to Ciel's apartment and moves back inside.

Ciel's way too small so his clothes are out of the question but his dad's clothes might just fit Sebastian.

Sebastian walks back into the apartment, stepping into a few rooms until he finds the one that he's assuming is Ciel's dad's.

It's clean and organized, like the rest of the apartment. The bed is absolutely enormous, which makes Sebastian think of Ciel's mom. He's never heard anything about her and has no idea where she even is.

Sebastian shrugs off his clothes and pulls on one of Vincent's business suits, buttoning the white dress shirt and then sliding on a jacket. He isn't too good with ties so he skips that and just exits the apartment, heading straight for Aozora Bank.

The drive isn't too long and Sebastian parks in front of the building, glancing up at the imposing structure.

The inside of the Aozora Bank isn't too bad but the amount of people milling around makes Sebastian feel uneasy. Sebastian looks around confusedly and is about to walk up to the nearest bank teller when a hand wraps around his bicep and pulls him away from the crowd of people and into a small hallway.

"You Sebastian?" The man that had grabbed him asks, his voice gruff and accented. It's an Italian accent, tipping Sebastian off immediately.

"Why didn't your boss tell me I was meeting one of you here? You could've warned me." Sebastian complains, feeling like he's at a disadvantage. It's illogical; of course he's at a disadvantage. Azurro is holding Ciel hostage.

"Listen kid, just give me the code. Then drive on over to the UL." The man says. Sebastian isn't sure what it is exactly, it might be the way that the man calls the parking garage by the right name, but he decides to trust the guy.

Sebastian hands over the code he scribbled on a piece of paper to the man and exits the bank. He climbs back in the BMW he's grown used to driving and heads over to the UL.

Sebastian just parks his car on the first floor of the parking garage and rides the elevator up to the seventh. He doesn't want to wreck Ciel's BMW attempting to drive to the top of the parking garage.

The elevator doors open to reveal an idling car in the middle of the parking garage. There's no other sound save for the purr of the engine.  
Azurro's leaning against the car, smoking a cigarette lazily. Ciel's no where in sight.

"Ah, Sebastian. You're here. Good, now give me the money." Azurro says, inhaling his cigarette slowly.

"I don't have it." Sebastian replies. He's walking towards Azurro, not wanting to but knowing that he has to.

"What do you mean?" Azurro demands, anger seeping into his voice. Sebastian pauses, looking at Azurro in confusion.

"I gave the access codes to one of your henchmen at the bank." Sebastian responds, sounding unsure.

Azurro stares at him for a moment and then his mouth twists into a snarl. He flicks his cigarette to the ground, crushing it with his boot.

"I don't have any henchman, you idiot!" Azurro growls, lunging forward and knocking Sebastian to the ground. He almost immediately starts hitting Sebastian's face. Azurro's wearing what feels like way too many rings and Sebastian can feel his face getting cut up.

Sebastian starts coughing up blood around the third or fourth hit but Azurro doesn't stop until Sebastian looses count. He moves off of Sebastian and starts pacing, clenching his fists angrily. Sebastian focuses on breathing in and out.

"What did this man, the one that you gave the codes to, look like?" Azurro asks.

"He was blond and kinda heavy. An older guy." Sebastian replies weakly. The cement beneath him is cold and he just wants to go to sleep.  
Azurro doesn't respond because there's suddenly the noise of tires squealing and then a large car drives directly towards Azurro and stops just before running him over. Three guys step out of the car, guns pointed at Azurro.

Sebastian feels like this is all some kind of action movie and crawls over to the car Azurro had been leaning against. He figures that it will offer him better protection and that no one will bother with him as long as he stays close to the ground.

Sebastian eases the car door open and a hand immediately wraps around his wrist, pulling him inside the car. The door closes on his foot and Sebastian has to bite down on his lip so he won't scream.

After closing the door properly, without his foot in the way, Sebastian glances over at the person who had pulled him into the car and is surprised to see that it's Ciel.

He looks a little messy, his clothes wrinkled and his hair messed up. His eye patch looks like it was tied on sloppily but other than that he looks okay.

"Oh God, are you okay?" Sebastian demands, immediately moving closer to Ciel and ignoring the twinge in his ankle.

"Yes, I'm fine." Ciel says, swatting Sebastian's anxious hands away. "Listen to me, I need you to drive us out of here. Lock the doors and then climb in the front of the car."

Sebastian can see Azurro through the front window, discussing business with the men in front of him. The windows are tinted so they probably wouldn't notice Sebastian's movements. Also, the car is idling; all Sebastian would have to do is put it in gear and drive.

"Why didn't you just drive away?" Sebastian asks. Ciel had been bound at one point but now he was free of his bondage.

"I was waiting for a moment to get you in the car. Now, hurry up and drive." Ciel orders. Sebastian glances at Ciel and then nods, climbing over the console and sliding into the front seat. He doesn't bother buckling his seat belt and instead shifts gears, automatically backing up and after another gear shift, drives out of the parking garage.

He realizes that he's going to have to take those turns again, the ones that he won't be able to make without drifting or slowing down. Sebastian doesn't plan on doing either and instead tells Ciel to hold on as he drives too fast around bends he doesn't know how to drive.

Sebastian ends up tearing up the car as badly as he had the first time he attempted to drift but he doesn't care at all this time. This is Azurro's car and Sebastian is so relieved to be escaping that insane mafia-like moment that he could cry.

Rather than cry, he just continues driving faster than strictly necessary.


	9. Konzatsu Tokyo (Confusion Tokyo)

Sebastian drives back to Ciel's apartment where Ciel allows him to clean up.

"My father won't be home for a few days so you can shower and change into some of his clothes. After your shower, I'll check your face and make sure nothing's broken." Ciel says. He sounds so calm and Sebastian wonders why Ciel isn't more frightened or scared. He doesn't know any victims of kidnappings but he would expect Ciel to be a little more hysterical.

"Are you okay? Do you need to go somewhere?" Sebastian questions. Ciel arches an eyebrow and then walks deeper into his apartment, disappearing into a room Sebastian can't see.

"The bathroom is the second door on the right." Ciel calls from the separate room. Sebastian sighs and slips into the shower, deciding that he'll talk to Ciel after his shower.

Sebastian doesn't glance at the mirror in the bathroom because he doesn't want to see his own bloody face. Instead, he just steps straight into the shower after taking off his clothes.

The shower is fancy, something with various settings that seem pointless. Sebastian knew Ciel was rich but this shower seems to draw everything out for him; Ciel is _rich_. He's in the billionaire category, maybe even more than that.

It's weird to think about because Ciel seems pretty normal... well, besides being pretty sparse with his emotions and getting kidnapped.

Sebastian gets out of the shower and dries off. The bathroom is connected to Vincent's bedroom, so Sebastian walks into the bedroom and looks through Vincent's clothes. Apparently the guy doesn't own anything besides suits and weird pajamas that look similar to the suits.

_Seriously, doesn't this guy own any sweats?_

Sebastian ends up wearing another suit just because he knows that he's going to be leaving soon anyways; his father has no idea where he is.

When Sebastian walks into the living room he finds Ciel sitting on the couch, reading a book. His hair is damp from his own shower and Sebastian's surprised; he must've taken longer than he thought.

"Sit down; I'll look at your face." Ciel tells Sebastian.

Sebastian sits down and Ciel sets his book on the coffee table, turning to face Sebastian. He lightly touches Sebastian's face, feeling along his cheekbones, nose, and jaw to see if anything feels wrong.

"How do you even know what you're doing? Do you have a medical license I don't know about?" Sebastian questions. He isn't trying to be rude; he's trying to lighten the mood.

"Your face is fine. Well, obviously it's going to be rather swollen but other than that it's fine." Ciel replies, completely ignoring Sebastian's comment.

Sebastian stares at Ciel, scanning his face for any cuts or bruises. Sebastian is just so surprised that Ciel hasn't broken down or cried or _something_. His lack of emotion is unnerving.

"What are you staring at?" Ciel demands.

"Nothing, it's just... why do you seem so calm? I mean, you were kidnapped." Sebastian says. He doesn't want to upset Ciel but Ciel's behaviors are confusing.

"Sebastian, being who I am comes with certain... complications. I can't exactly live a normal life." Ciel responds. He leans back against the arm of the couch and reaches for his book.

"You mean you've been kidnapped before?" Sebastian questions, completely nonplussed.

"Once." Ciel responds.

"And you're okay with that!?" Sebastian demands.

"Of course not. But, the lifestyle I lead keeps me from living a normal life." Ciel murmurs. Sebastian doesn't respond and Ciel pauses for a moment before continuing.

"The things I have and the things I plan on getting hold me back from an ordinary life. That's why I need an adequate bodyguard."

Sebastian exhales, assuming that Ciel's going to tell him that he's relieved from his duties and that he'll have to pay Ciel back with money.

"That's why you're going to take some training courses to ensure that you're in peak physical condition and that you're capable of protecting me." Ciel tells Sebastian. His single visible blue eye looks bright against the black and white of his living room.

Sebastian feels like he's living in a gray area.

He has to cater to Ciel's whims and desires due to his own stupidity but his sole purpose in life is not to serve the teen. He still has to get a job to pay off damages in California, attempt to pass classes when he barely has a grasp on Japanese, and now Ciel wants him to take a training course all so he can protect Ciel from psychopaths who wants his father's money.

"You are to begin the aforementioned training sessions tomorrow after school. I'll go with you the first week to ensure that you're getting off to a good start but after that, you're expected to go on your own." Ciel replies, as if Sebastian has no choice in the matter. He doesn't seem to notice Sebastian's strong dislike of the idea.

"Why do I have to do this? I understand that I owe you the car but why do you have to treat me like you're my overlord?" Sebastian questions. He's irritated with Ciel and his calm facade, his cold exterior.

"Because I am your boss. At the end of the day, what I say goes. You have to obey me. Besides, I can't have someone protecting me if they don't know what they're doing." Ciel explains. He closes his book and stands up, as if that settles it. "You can nap in one of the guest rooms if you want or go back to your apartment. I'd recommend not taking Azurro's car anywhere; I'll have someone dispose of it shortly."

Sebastian is still in a state of irritated surprise mixed with confusion. He doesn't understand Ciel, can't fathom the reason he's doing this, but Sebastian understands when he's being dismissed. He stands up and exits the apartment, taking the elevator downstairs.

Sebastian flips the color of his borrowed suit up against the cold wind. He rides the monorail back to his father's apartment. His father is sitting on the couch when Sebastian gets home, watching some show in Japanese.

Sebastian enters the apartment and goes straight into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water.

"Sebastian, where have you been? You can't just leave without saying anything. And whose suit is that?" His dad asks, stepping into the kitchen.

"I was with Ciel dad. He had to go to some convention thing over in Yotsuya so I went with him. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you; it was kind of short notice." Sebastian replies. His dad makes an 'ah, I see' noise and then exits the kitchen, heading back to his bedroom.

He doesn't seem too interested in Sebastian, no matter how much he wants to pretend. Sebastian has never been as close to his father as he had been with his mother.

"Well, don't let it happen again. Oh yeah, there's some mail for you." His dad murmurs, the shuffling sound of his feet soft on the floor.  
Sebastian walks over to the mail sitting on the counter, rifling through it until he finds the envelope addressed to him. The letter is from a Mizuho Bank in Yotsuya, asking him to sign a few forms and mail them back.

The forms are for a transfer of a large amount of money into his account.

Sebastian hadn't even been aware that he had an account and he has no idea of anyone who'd be willing to send him money but when he checks the forms for the opposite party's signature, it's signed Phantomhive.

Sebastian remembers telling Ciel that he'd need to get another job because he was still paying off damages back home and Ciel came up with this as a solution. Ciel would pay Sebastian and that way Sebastian could remain loyal to Ciel. Ciel wanted to make sure Sebastian could stay his bodyguard so he was willing to pay Sebastian to work for him.

Sebastian wasn't even sure if he should kiss Ciel or punch him right in the face.

It was a good solution to Sebastian's job issue but it was obvious that it was solely for Ciel's gain; he didn't want to lose Sebastian as an employee.

Sebastian couldn't tell if he was grateful or just pissed off so he just decided to go to sleep.

It wouldn't help him figure out his emotions but it would delay them for a little bit and help put them on hold, so Sebastian gave in to unconsciousness.


	10. Ao Shinjuku (Blue Shinjuku)

Sebastian picks up Ciel the next day before school and effectively ignores him. He responds to questions with short answers, only replying to what is absolutely necessary.

Ciel seems quite irritated with this and he sighs, turning to look out the window while Sebastian drives. The silence is grating to his nerves and he wishes Sebastian would talk to him, even if it's just to be rude. When they arrive at the school, Sebastian opens the door for Ciel as he always does and Ciel climbs out of the car.

"Sebastian, today after school you'll have training, yes?" Ciel questions. It's not really a question, they both know that. Sebastian represses the urge to hit Ciel and turns to face the smaller boy.

"Of course." Sebastian replies sans emotion. Ciel crosses his arms, his mouth pressed into a thin line as if he's irritated.

Sebastian doesn't dwell on this as he walks away, far ahead of Ciel.

The rest of the day Sebastian doesn't talk to Ciel in their classes, even though Ciel could easily explain the assignments to Sebastian. Instead, they both remain stubborn and Sebastian pretends to do work until the bell rings.

At lunch, Sebastian sits with Baldo and Finny. He notices Ciel headed towards the door that leads to the rooftop and he relaxes, deciding that maybe some time away from Ciel will help sooth his irritation with the brat.

"Hey, where have you been? We haven't really got to see you much... you're always with Ciel." Baldo murmurs. It's not an accusation but he doesn't bother to hide the curiosity in his voice.

"Yeah, we've uh, become friends I guess." Sebastian replies lamely. There for a while he thought things were going smoothly and that maybe he and Ciel were friends... now, however, he knows it's a strictly professional relationship. It's beneficial to Ciel.

"That's surprising; Ciel doesn't really open up to many people." Baldo adds. Finny nods, too busy eating to say much. Sebastian sighs and picks at his food, wondering if he shouldn't be like this to Ciel.

The kid is very obviously socially inept and doesn't know how to be around people his own age. He can be a brat and tends to be rather commandeering but... he's not a bad person. At least, Sebastian doesn't think so.

Either way, Sebastian isn't going to let his guard down around Ciel. He wants a bodyguard, not a friend. Besides, Ciel had talked about living a life that wasn't exactly straight edge; Sebastian wasn't sure what that meant, but he'd be sure to find out.

"We just both like cars." Sebastian finally responds. Baldo nods, as if that makes perfect sense, and then moves to throw his lunch away. Finny follows.

Sebastian finishes his lunch alone and contemplates all the things he doesn't know about Ciel and all the things he needs to know.

The rest of the school day drags and Sebastian's glad to finally exit the large building. It's nice outside, the sky a light blue color and the wind not so bad for once. It doesn't feel like fall, even though it is.

When Sebastian reaches his car, Ciel's talking to Ash again, standing in front of the car awkwardly. Sebastian remembers Ash from the last time he'd spoken to Ciel and Sebastian doesn't like the guy, purely for the fact that he'd seemed like an ass then.

"Listen, it's not that big a deal, I don't-" Ciel cuts off when notices Sebastian and motions for Ash to leave. "We'll talk later. I have other engagements to attend to."

Ash glances at Sebastian and glares openly before walking away. Sebastian rolls his eyes and opens the car door for Ciel.

"Do you have proper workout clothes?" Ciel questions once Sebastian's in the driver's seat.

"No, not really." Sebastian responds, glancing down at his uniform. Ciel nods and then tells Sebastian to just drive to his apartment.

"I'll wait here. You go inside and grab a pair of sweats and maybe a water." Ciel commands. Sebastian does as told, as he always will, and goes inside to grab some clothes.

He runs into his dad, which is odd considering that his dad isn't home normally.

"Hey, where you going?" His dad asks, noticing the gym bag Sebastian's carrying and the water bottle in his hand.

"Ciel is going to take me to his gym." Sebastian murmurs. He finds it hard to lie about this when he's so unenthusiastic about taking these courses for Ciel.

"This kid sure can get you to do a lot of stuff you wouldn't normally be caught dead doing." Sebastian's dad muses with a laugh. Sebastian shrugs in response.

"Well, he seems like an okay kid. I'm glad you're making friends." His dad says. He sounds genuine and Sebastian gives him a real smile, deciding that it's nice that his dad cares, even a little.

"Yeah, he's alright." Sebastian says. His dad tells him to have fun and then Sebastian leaves, tossing his bag in the backseat of the car.

Ciel hadn't been doing anything important while Sebastian was gone and had instead been playing on his phone. Sebastian gets in the car but doesn't start it right away.

"I need directions." Sebastian says.

"What? Oh yes, we're going to a training academy in Yotsuya. It's for people who are going to work for the government later on. They offer a gym and shooting range." Ciel murmurs.

"For the general public?" Sebastian asks.

"Of course not. My father is good friends with the man who runs the operation and, after paying a certain sum, the man agreed to allow you to train there." Ciel explains. He motions for Sebastian to start the car and Sebastian does, pulling into the steady flow of traffic.

"Where do I need to drive to?" Sebastian questions.

"Just drive as if you're headed towards my apartment. I'll tell you when you need to change direction." Ciel says. Sebastian feels one step behind, just like he always does around Ciel. It's extremely annoying but he tolerates it in silence.

Sebastian pulls off of the Shuto Expressway and Ciel directs him of the correct turns to make and eventually the pull up to a large building, the architecture extremely modern for this end of Japan.

Ciel gets out of the car first and Sebastian almost has to rush to follow, grabbing his bag and entering the building after Ciel.

The interior looks exactly like an old gym, although the imperial seal is on the front doors and the people walking around look like lawyers rather than trainees at a gym.

Ciel says something to the lady at the front desk in Japanese and she points at a door to the right of them. They enter that room and Sebastian's surprised at the extensive amount of equipment in the gym; it's filled with treadmills, ellipticals, and just about any other exercise machine you could think of.

"Wow." Sebastian breaths. He's hoping Ciel isn't expecting him to start using all of these; he isn't even familiar with some of the contraptions.

"Phantomhive?" A voice questions, causing both of them to turn.

It's a thin girl with purple hair. Sebastian has the vague feeling that he knows her from somewhere but he can't seem to place her face.

"Hello, Mey-rin." Ciel replies. He smiles slightly, just enough to be polite.

"Oh, I know you. You're from the UL." Sebastian realizes. Mey-rin nods shortly and then glances at Ciel.

"Is this your bodyguard that needs whipped into shape?" Mey-rin asks. Ciel nods and Mey-rin grabs Sebastian's arm, pulling him away. Ciel watches with a bored expression until he can't see Sebastian any longer.

Mey-rin ends up forcing Sebastian to do a so-called simple set of exercises, just to see where he is. He does various activities, ranging from push-ups to running on the treadmill. Mey-rin isn't satisfied until Sebastian is exhausted and only then does she allow him to leave.

Sebastian knew he wasn't in shape but this is just awful. He isn't fat, just isn't in top physical condition regarding his stamina.

He exits the gym without changing back into his school uniform; he's too hot and decides that he doesn't care either way. It's late now and he just wants to go home.

Ciel stands up when notices Sebastian exit the gym and he moves over to Sebastian, stopping him from exiting the building.

"You still have shooting practice. I'm assuming you don't know how to handle a gun." Ciel murmurs. Sebastian turns to look at Ciel and he actually contemplates hitting Ciel. He doesn't want to have to deal with this right now, Ciel's superior attitude and his little roleplay of master.

"No, I don't." Sebastian replies tersely. Ciel seems to pick on Sebastian's mood because he doesn't say anything and instead just leads Sebastian towards the opposite end of the building.

After walking through another set of double doors, they enter a large room that is obviously a shooting range. No one else is in the room save for one couple.

Ciel puts on a pair of large, soundproof earmuffs to protect his ears against the noises. Sebastian puts on a pair too and then follows Ciel over to a man who hands Sebastian a gun.

Ciel tells the guy something in Japanese and then he leaves them both alone.

"I'll show you what to do." Ciel explains, talking loudly over the sound of the other pair shooting at the opposite end of the range.

He tells Sebastian to place his feet in a certain stance and then shows him the different mechanisms of the gun, pointing out the safety and the trigger. After Ciel feels like he's shown Sebastian how to properly shoot, he tells him to aim for the chest and then takes a half-step back or so.

Sebastian points the gun towards the paper outline of a man, inhales, exhales, and then pulls the trigger. He misses the heart, and ends up shooting the stomach, but it feels... good. It's almost like Sebastian has finally found an outlet for all this frustration he's been feeling.

He pulls the trigger a second time all on his own.


	11. Kihatsusei Kabukicho (Volatile Kabukicho

Sebastian continues his training sessions for the rest of the week.

He still doesn't like the physical activity portion very much but he is rather fond of shooting. Ciel shows him how to load and unload the gun, among other things.

"Eventually I'll be giving you a gun of your own." Ciel tells Sebastian. Sebastian pauses and almost shoots off to the side of the paper target.

"What? Is that even legal?" Sebastian questions, lowering the gun and turning to look at Ciel. He isn't certain on the logistics of gun owning but he's fairly sure that there's some paperwork involved.

"It's fine, for now. We'll get the legal forms later, we don't have time for that now." Ciel replies. It's not a direct answer and Sebastian's been getting way too many of those recently.

"Listen, Ciel, I can't protect you if you aren't telling me everything." Sebastian says. He doesn't like feeling excluded, especially not from Ciel. He's forcing Sebastian to exert himself physically, learn how to use a gun, and is probably preparing countless other tasks. The least he could do is fill Sebastian in.

"There is nothing to inform you of, Sebastian. I do hope you aren't busy tomorrow though." Ciel murmurs. Sebastian sighs but tells Ciel that he isn't busy.

"Good, we'll be meeting someone tomorrow. You won't need a gun or anything but your presence is required." Ciel responds. He stretches his arms above his head and yawns.

"Finish this cartridge and then let's leave." Ciel commands.

Sebastian does as told, pleased to see that his aim has improved over the course of the week.

They exit the training academy late, around eleven or so. It's Friday night though so they don't have anything to worry about. It's dark and cold out, the night air biting against Sebastian's sweaty skin. He regrets not putting back on his school uniform but it would've been a waste of time.

"Who are we going to see tomorrow?" Sebastian questions, starting his car and pulling out of the parking lot. He's rather fond of the BMW he's been driving Ciel around in, despite the fact that it isn't a good car for racing.

"It's an informant that I occasionally speak to. He's uncovered some information that might be valuable to me." Ciel answers. He's looking out the window, watching people walking and laughing.

Sebastian finds Japan most beautiful at night like this, at least in the city. The lights reflecting on the skyscrapers create a nice ambiance.

"What do you do around here for fun?" Sebastian suddenly asks. They're idling at a stop light, waiting for a large group of people to cross the street.

"What do you mean?" Ciel questions in response.

"Well, I've noticed a few clubs around here and I wondering if you ever went to any. I know you're a little robot but you still have fun occasionally, don't you?" Sebastian asks. He's still trying to figure Ciel out, even after all this time. Ciel seems like an intricate person and Sebastian wants to understand him as best as he can.

"Not particularly." Ciel replies. He sounds bored and Sebastian tosses him an incredulous look, moving forward when the light changes.

"You've never tried to get into a bar? Not even once? Isn't the legal age here like 16?" Sebastian wonders aloud. In reality, he has no idea about the legal age.

"It's twenty. And no, I haven't. I'm assuming by your disbelieving tone that you have." Ciel murmurs.

"Of course I have! It's like a rite of passage." Sebastian says. Sebastian's attempt at getting into a bar had failed of course but that wasn't the point; at least he _tried_.

"I have no particular interest in experiencing that specific rite of passage." Ciel sighs. He sounds like such a snob that Sebastian can't help but laugh.

"What exactly does your dad do? I mean, besides owning Funtom?" Sebastian questions. He'd just been thinking about when he had searched Vincent's office, and how it had been obvious that working in the car industry wasn't the only thing that Ciel's father did.

"Sebastian, haven't you heard the expression curiosity killed the cat?" Ciel asks. He doesn't sound worried in the least but Sebastian knows that it's probably an act. Ciel's good at covering up his emotions.

"Satisfaction brought the cat back." Sebastian replies. He's not sure where he heard the rejoinder but he's never really had the opportunity to use it. It makes sense that he'd find the opportunity to use it when talking to Ciel. The kid uses some words that are ridiculously long and unheard of.

"Is this a roundabout way of telling me that you need satisfied?" Ciel questions, turning to look at Sebastian. Sebastian is confused for a moment before he realizes that Ciel's _teasing_.

Ciel Phantomhive, teenage robot is trying to be funny.

"Did you just _joke_ with me? Are you the real Ciel Phantomhive?" Sebastian teases. He finds it hard to believe that Ciel's opening up to him, just like that, but he decides to enjoy it while it lasts.

"Of course I am, it's idiotic to assume-"

"Okay, you don't have to prove yourself. You're obviously the real Ciel." Sebastian interrupts. Ciel looks slightly offended and Sebastian has to smile at the look on his face.

When Ciel isn't being an asshole, it's not horrible spending time with him.

Sebastian suddenly realizes that they're at Ciel's apartment building.

"Come get me around noon." Ciel commands. Sebastian nods and drops Ciel off at the front of his building. He watches to make sure that Ciel gets inside and then drives away, towards his own apartment.

* * *

Sebastian wakes up around ten and showers.

Ciel had sent him a text last night, telling him to look professional.

Sebastian exits the bathroom and walks into the kitchen, glancing out the windows as he walks by. The view from his dad's apartment is nice and he tries to admire it as much as he can.

There's a note attached to the fridge, explaining that Sebastian's dad is out on a date with Reika.

Reika is his girlfriend of soon to be one year. Sebastian has only met her once and that was a few months ago, back when she flew out to Cali with his father, right before Sebastian had wrecked into that school.

It's weird to think that he's in a different country and away from his mother. They've always been close and it's hard to believe that she sent him away just like that. Sebastian still remembers how angry she'd been.

Sebastian thinks about calling her but decides against it. She doesn't want to talk to him.

He eats some breakfast and watches Spongebob in Japanese. Sebastian decides that it's not the same and then turns the TV off. He finishes getting ready in the silence of the apartment and then goes downstairs, walking outside to his car.

He settles on wearing a dark pair of jeans and a loose buttoned shirt with the sleeves rolled up, hoping that it's good enough for Ciel. Sebastian doesn't exactly own a lot of clothes that he'd deem professional.

He drives to Ciel's apartment and picks him up. Ciel looks as elegant as ever, wearing khakis and a black sweater.

"We'll be going to Kabukicho. I know you've been there before but the area we're going to probably isn't what you're expecting." Ciel murmurs.

"Why would it not be what I'm expecting?" Sebastian questions. He thinks Ciel assumes things far too often.

"We're going to a sex-related establishment." Ciel replies. He keeps a calm expression although Sebastian notices that he blushes slightly.

"What does that mean?" Sebastian demands. He doesn't understand why they would need to go to a "sex-related establishment" or even why Ciel would be willing to go to one.

"My informant lives above the establishment. We won't be participating in any activities." Ciel elaborates. Sebastian laughs at the thought.

"Of course he lives above the place. What kind of sex establishment is it? Like prostitutes or human trafficking?" Sebastian questions. He doesn't want to be involved in anything illegal; there's no way he'd escape jail with all the charges against him. Besides, the thought of human trafficking makes him sick.

"I would never be involved in human trafficking, you idiot. It's merely a call girl service. Barely above prostitution." Ciel states. Sebastian relaxes slightly, deciding that he can live with this.

Well, in actuality, he has no choice. He'd have to go through with this, even if it was something illegal. Sebastian isn't sure just how far from straight-edge Ciel is but he's hoping it isn't very far.

Ciel being involved with bad people could reflect negatively on Sebastian considering his past destruction of property and barely escaping the charges. Paying off damages would be the least of his problems if anyone found out he was spending time with someone involved in prohibited activities.

When Sebastian glances at Ciel, he doesn't see a bad person. Ciel simply looks bored, like any other teenager. He just isn't sure if it's an act or if Ciel really is as benign as he seems.


	12. Ichi Roppongi (One Roppongi)

The sex-related establishment looks more like a skyscraper. The inside of the building is full of women wearing business suits and skirts. It's all very refined and Sebastian finds it hard to believe that it's a business about sex at all.

A woman on the ground floor offers him a card, which he's about to accept so he won't come across as rude, when Ciel grabs his sleeve and pulls him towards the elevator.

"She probably thinks I'm rude now." Sebastian says, once the elevator doors are shut.

"She was propositioning you, Sebastian." Ciel finally replies. Sebastian is, well surprised. Being propositioned by a call girl isn't something that's ever happened to him. He doesn't know if he should be glad Ciel stopped her or annoyed.

The top floor is apparently a penthouse but when they get on the top floor, it looks more like an empty apartment. It's a very large space but they walk through three rooms until they come across a room that actually has any furniture.

It's a bedroom but it only has a futon in it and a man sitting on the corner of it, doing something on a laptop, books scattered around him.

"Little Phantomhive, have a seat." The man says, gesturing to the futon beside him. Ciel gingerly sits down on the opposite side of the futon, not close to the man.

Sebastian observes the guy from the doorway, deciding that he's a weirdo. The guy doesn't look too old but his hair is silvery-gray, possibly dyed, and hides his eyes.

"So, what brings you here today?" The man questions, closing his laptop and turning to face Ciel.

"You know why I'm here. You called me two days ago." Ciel replies gruffly. He crosses his legs and Sebastian has to repress a laugh; Ciel is such a little snob.

"Oh, right. You're still on your hunt for justice. It really is a shame you've been left motherless." The man sighs. He leans forward, touching Ciel's cheek lightly, and Ciel moves away from his touch.

"Stop telling me things I already know." Ciel snaps. His eyes flicker over to Sebastian and the man on the futon turns his head suddenly, facing Sebastian. Sebastian catalogs the information for later but decides not to ask Ciel about his mother right now.

"You are the new bodyguard, yes? Well, I'm Undertaker." The man says, walking over to Sebastian.

"I'm Sebastian." Sebastian responds, eyeing the man wearily. He laughs behind his hand and then sits down again.

"I hope you last a good while, Mr. Sebastian." Undertaker murmurs. He grabs something from underneath his futon and then holds it out to Ciel.

"This is what I have for you." Undertaker says. Ciel takes the paper from him and looks at it for a moment before frowning.

"This is a party invitation." Ciel sighs. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"Did you even look at the location of the party?" Undertaker questions.

"It's at the Wall Street House in Roppongi." Ciel answers, reading from the invitation.

"Do you know the owner of the bar, Little Phantomhive?" Undertaker cackles, laughing at something neither Ciel nor Sebastian are catching.

"No, I'm afraid I don't." Ciel replies. His tone is clipped and his mouth is a thin line; he hates not knowing something and he _loathes _it when people exploit that.

"It's owned by Lau." Undertaker murmurs, a grin on his face. Ciel exhales but nods, as if this a problem they will be able to conquer with a certain amount of persistence.

"Who's Lau?" Sebastian questions. He hasn't spoken much this entire meeting but he knows that if he doesn't ask, he won't be told.

"Lau is head of a Chinese trading company but he also has ties with the Shanghai mafia." Ciel answers. He pinches the bridge of his nose, as if he's thinking.

"And you need to talk to him?" Sebastian questions. Ciel nods and Undertaker laughs.

_That guy is seriously getting on my nerves._

"Then why don't you just go to the party and try to talk to him?" Sebastian asks. He doesn't see the obstacle here.

"Lau knows my father. If I were to ask Lau questions, he might relate those back to my father." Ciel replies.

"Then wear a disguise." Sebastian replies. Ciel closes his eyes, as if he's resigning himself to his fate, but stands up to leave.

"Undertaker, I assume you'll have my outfit sent to my apartment before the party?" Ciel asks, pausing beside Sebastian for a moment.

"Of course, Little Phantomhive. I'm sure you'll be quite thrilled." Undertaker giggles. He waves at Sebastian when he turns around to follow Ciel. Their shoes echo on the empty floor of Undertaker's apartment.

"Bastard." Ciel grumbles, Sebastian barely catching the whisper. He ignores it in favor of getting in the elevator but spends the ride down to the bottom floor in silence, watching Ciel.

* * *

"Bring in the pants a little." Ciel intrusts, gesturing towards Sebastian's thighs. The tailor currently sticking pins in Sebastian's clothes nods and adds a few more pins.

"This is ridiculous. Do I really need to have an outfit tailored?" Sebastian demands of Ciel.

"Of course. You can't show up to the party looking like a mess. You need to look sharp. Besides, I can't have a bodyguard that doesn't look professional." Ciel answers. He's sitting on a leather stool, watching from the sidelines as the tailor hems and takes in Sebastian's suit.

It's black and admittedly nice but Sebastian feels like it's excessive. Any club he'd been to in the past did not require suits nor anything similar. It feels like he's getting rich treatment, with this tailor hemming his clothes and other employees lining up shoes for him to try on. Ciel is obviously used to it but Sebastian can't help but wonder just how different their lives were.

"That's good." Ciel decides. The tailor bows respectfully and Ciel stands up. He walks over to Sebastian, tugging on the bottom of his jacket to make sure it's good.

He thanks the tailor in Japanese and then bows lowly. She smiles and says something to Sebastian before leaving.

"Go take the suit off. It'll be placed in a box for you and I don't want you even touching it until the party. Everything needs to go smoothly that night." Ciel says. Sebastian has noticed that Ciel's been wound up ever since learning of the party and he's been even more controlling than usual.

He's been overseeing the physical activity portion of Sebastian's workouts, forcing him to do extra sit-ups when he complains or run another fifteen minutes on the treadmill.

It's absolute torture and reminds Sebastian of why he doesn't like Ciel, of all the things Ciel does that aggravate the hell out of Sebastian.

"Understood." Sebastian exhales. He doesn't like to talk to Ciel when he's like this and tries his best to avoid doing anything that could result in a lecture.

Ciel exits the room and Sebastian quickly steps out of his suit, careful not to jostle the pins. He places it on the leather stool, leaving it for the tailor to sew.

Once he's back in his regular outfit, he leaves the large room and finds Ciel waiting for him in the main hallway. They walk out to the parking lot together, the cold wind harsh against their faces. They both get in the car quickly, Sebastian turning on the heater along with the engine.

He drives Ciel home, enjoying the small amount of silence while it lasts. Ciel seems disgruntled about something because he keeps fidgeting slightly, moving his legs and fiddling with his hands.

When they reach his apartment building, Ciel doesn't exit the car immediately.

"Sebastian... it's going to rain tomorrow, so it would be best if you bring an umbrella to school." Ciel says. Sebastian arches an eyebrow at the statement.

"Okay. I will." Sebastian says. Ciel nods and then gets out of the car.

Sebastian isn't sure why Ciel suddenly cares about the dryness of his clothes but he appreciates the advice nonetheless. Watching the news in the morning isn't something Sebastian does anymore, not wanting to hear anymore Japanese than he has to.

Sometimes the amount of Japanese he hears and doesn't understand drives him crazy. Sending him to Japan without understanding the language at all had been a mistake on his mother's part.

He hadn't gained a new prospect on life, hadn't made any new friends save for Ciel- and that was only if you could call Ciel a friend. It's more like he's Sebastian's boss that can occasionally be a decent human being.

Sebastian still doesn't get Ciel but he's surprised about what Undertaker had said earlier. The informant had mentioned something about Ciel being motherless. He wasn't sure if that meant Ciel's mother had left or died but he decided that it would be a good idea to find out.

All the things he learned about Ciel's past seemed to add up, form a reason for Ciel's motives. Ciel is the way he is because of the way he's been treated and the way his life has gone up until this point.

Sebastian doesn't know everything that Ciel's been through but he does know that Ciel's motherless and from what he can tell, his father isn't exactly present in his life.

It's weird to think about how different their lives are, how dissimilar their pasts have been. Sebastian grew up in California with his mother and Ciel grew up in London with both of his parents, at least for a little while.

And now, they're both in Tokyo, Sebastian indebted to Ciel all due to a car.

It's interesting how things play out but Sebastian has a nervous feeling that things aren't going to play out in his favor.


End file.
